The Pillbox Tavern is an absolute MUST STOP if you're in downtown St. Paul!!! What a fantastic…read morebar/restaurant that has a little something for everyone. If Jenn and Chad are bartending, you're In for a treat. Fantastic customer service, bartenders that smile and seem to enjoy their craft as they work. I was in St. Paul for 5 days and spent 3 of my dinners there. N/A beer selection was a nice plus. They carry an impressive line of Tap beers from all over the country and their kitchen backs its reputation with great quality food! (Full bar, plenty of liquor and a great wine selection also) There's plenty of outdoor seating available also along the street, which is an open-air compliment to the restaurant. TV's cover every spot you could ask for, with a MONSTER main screen on the bar wall.... Not sure its size, but it would be calculated in feet, not inches! There is not a plethora of options in St. Paul for restaurants, especially in the downtown area. The Pillbox is walking distance to the Grand Casio Arena which is fantastic and most downtown hotels are only a 5-7 minute walk away. I spent 19 years in the restaurant business. From doorman, to buss boy, server, to bar tender, bar manager to general manager, I've managed restaurants similar to the Pillbox Tavern. I openly and publicly give them a huge shout out for their customer service, food quality and atmosphere....and additional kiddos for the upbeat environment their staff portrays. If Jen and Chad ever move to Chicago, they could write their own tickets In restaurant management or ownership. If you're looking for a place because your visiting, this is YOUR ONE STOP SHOP! If you are local and haven't tried it yet, you need to establish a new watering hole! If you're lucky enough to meet regulars like Tony and his wife at the bar, you Might just be rubbing elbows with some of the nicest people in St. Paul! Cheers to enjoying a smile on the rocks with new friends at The Pillbox Tavern. -Brad

Frustrated with this place because of its tremendous potential and many missed opportunities…read more Massive 21-foot screen to watch football as well as about another 20 easily show all games at once as well as other sports that might be on concurrently (Twins baseball game and Indiana Fever WNBA game are current examples). Nope. EVERY single TV is on the same channel for the same game, with exception of three TVs located immediately to the right of the massive big screen. Two of those are on a coin-collecting show and the other has just now been changed from an episode of NCIS to the Minnesota WNBA game. Ya think at least the sound from the one game that IS on the TVs is being played? Nope. Some random music being played over the speakers. Food and drink specials are pretty good, but many inconsistencies throughout. Bottomless mimosas for $20 listed with no time associated, so one would assume it's all day. Waiter 'thinks' it's only until 2pm while the menu only hints it might be until 1pm bcuz it's listed near other specials that end at 1pm. Those food and drink specials I mentioned have no times associated with them. Listed as 'Vikings On the Wall of St Paul.' Asked the waiter if the specials were all-day Sunday during the games. He wasn't sure, said he 'thinks' it might only be during the Minnesota game. I HATE writing poor reviews and rarely ever do it. But this one was exceptional. Cool place but c'mon guys. Missing ALL the games we came here to watch!

A true dive bar. We didn't eat but the food looked good. Drinks super cheap. Staff is amazingly…read morefriendly and fun. NB: this is absolutely a cop bar, something we didn't know. Take that info as you wish

The place has a bad smell whe you walk in. Was there for BBQ before they switched the menu…read more The new menu is too expensive for the food being served a d quality. Especially the Chicago Dog. Bartenders aren't very friendly either. Not trying to make a new friend but don't be so pompous.

Sheboygan serves up high quality hotdogs & brats and beer at the Excel!…read more I found (I think) at least 2 of these locations on the first floor. We walked a complete circle of the entire arena before we decided what we were going to eat & drink. Luckily, Sheboygan was super close to our seats. I was impressed by the high quality brats and hotdogs...not just cheap fast food stuff we were forced to buy in the old days. I didn't expect this at a large venue. It was a nice surprise. Also, they have a variety of beer flavors, including higher end IPA type beers in case you're sick of the usual Bud Light type of stuff. Of course, they have soda & water too. I made 4 or 5 trips for meat and beers for our small group. Despite being super damn busy, the people behind the counter were consistently fast, friendly, smiling, and joking around. No sour faces...no sarcasm...just straight up great customer service for everyone in line. Thanks for some great brats & beer and big smiles, Sheboygan! -Daddy Maxx Retro

I just bought a package of hot dogs from Walmart never trying it before…read more I am 75 years old and have tried just about every hotdog made but never have I had one as good. It is crisp when you bite into it and the flavor was outstanding. I just can't figure out why the only place selling this product is Walmart.

Perfectly fine restaurant & sports bar attached to the Holiday Inn by Grand Casino Arena. The food…read moreour group of four had ranged from so-so (chicken strips, chicken wings) to quite good (cheesesteak, Bavarian pretzel). Our server was Laney and she was GREAT. They were clearly understaffed and we let her know we were on a schedule. She got us in and out quickly while being very helpful with our choices and overall very pleasant. Parking is already rough enough in this neighborhood, but I think the parking ramp for this complex is an abomination. It is an enigma to penetrate on foot and a labyrinth to navigate in one's car. It is the worst parking ramp that I have ever seen. But you should still try this restaurant.

Fun sports bar in the heart of Saint Paul! Very lively and entertaining ambiance with a tv in every…read morecorner -- perfect for watching any and all sports. Service was great, the food came out quickly and our waiter was very aware of timing which usually isn't super common. The cheesesteak was delicious, great portions and super cheesy! Curly fries side was also fabulous. Plenty on tap and canned beers and ciders, and a large variety of mixed drinks too.

Huge filets of Pollock; I can tell the frying oil was on overdrive. AYCE on a Friday, $20.95. Could…read moreonly get in five filets. Friendly service n busy. Big place, old school charm. A neighborhood fav. Recommended.

Every fish fry season, Obb's is always talked about as one of the best places to go. This year, we…read morefinally made it--and holy moly, it was busy! We got there at 4 PM and had about a 20 minute wait, which wasn't bad at all. When we left, I swear there were more people waiting outside than there were seated inside the restaurant. The process of getting our table was great (they definitely know what their doing) and our server was amazing, but if you're planning to go on a Friday night during fish fry season, be prepared for a wait. It was $20 for all-you-can-eat fish, but the portion sizes were pretty big to begin with, so we didn't order any extras. For sides, you could choose between fries or a baked potato, and for an extra charge, you could get au gratin potatoes. The fish was good, but the crispness level was lacking on both the fish and the fries--that's why I'm giving it 3 stars. Parking is a bit chaotic. You'll probably end up parking on a side street and walking a little bit. I will say they have a gorgeous patio! It wasn't open for dinner but the tables were all out so we could sit there with our drinks while we waiting for our table which was a nice bonus on a 70 degree day. Glad we tried a new place and happy fish fry season!

Great food, reasonable prices and great service. They are offering a once a month $5 monthly pizza…read morespecial. Excellent choice. Very comfortable and friendly for all to visit. It is worth seeking out. Great happy hour, daily food specials and full delicious food met.

I'd actually like to give 3.5 stars...maybe even 4. As a pub, they do a good job! We came on a…read moreThursday, which has a $10 spaghetti/meatball special ($11 if you opt for the Dago spicy Italian sausage version ). It was good, and the dago version did have some zip. Beers were $5; when we were there it wasn't loud; lots of monitors if you wanted to watch a sports game; the server was attentive, speedy $ friendly. Street parking only, but we were able to score a spot without too much difficulty. Oh! They also have a free popcorn machine, which is a fun throwback to yesteryear.

This place was absolutely packed when we visited since it was right before a Wild game, but…read morehonestly that just added to the energy. If you're looking for a place to grab food or drinks before heading to the game, this is a great option. The space is huge and so much fun. I loved that it's completely decked out in hockey memorabilia, which gives it a ton of character. There's also a great outdoor patio and the back bar can open up, creating an indoor/outdoor space, which is great for nicer days! Even with how unbelievably busy it was, our server did a fantastic job. They stayed friendly, attentive, and checked in often enough that we never felt forgotten. The one letdown was the North Star nachos. They were decent, but definitely not something I'd order again. All of the chicken ended up piled on one side while most of the lukewarm nacho cheese was on the other, so every bite felt inconsistent. I was also hoping for shredded cheese instead of nacho cheese, and the jalapeños clearly weren't fresh. They still had a nice kick, though, which helped. Overall, I'd absolutely come back. The atmosphere alone makes this place worth visiting, and I'd love to give some of the other menu items a try next time. Just skip the nachos.

Usually super busy before hockey games, which is to be expected. We came to grab a bit of food and…read moredrinks before a couple of the Wild games this year and always seemed lucky enough to snag a table, but if were larger than 2... it would have been really difficult. Best to plan ahead if you plan to pregame before a game and arrive early! Good selection of shareables. We didn't try any of the mains but the nachos were good to split!

The grand seven is my favorite bar. I love the style and the photos inside. For sure deserves a 5/5read more

The entertainment factor of this bar is amazing. If you miss shows like Jerry Springer or Maury…read morePovich, I recommend grabbing a table near the bar and watch the action unfold. If you are betting on sides of the argument choose the short female bartender. We watched her square off to a 6'3" guy and kick him out. The other fun fact is that they have modern pull ticket machines here, which was a new one for me.

What an interesting local bar in Minneapolis! Our group wandered into this bar shortly after…read moreattending a wedding at the Church of St. Agnes right around the corner. Once we walked into the bar we could tell immediately this was a local dive bar for the surrounding area. To paint a picture most of the people who were at the bar at 3pm on a Sunday were an older crowd (50+), one lady was wearing a shirt which was dress-length with a cat plastered on the front, and in the corner, to my delight, there were various arcade games which cost $1 to play. I'd definitely recommend this bar if you're looking to escape the surrounding summer heat after a wedding and get $3 beers. The bar offers cheap beers on tap and arcade games in the corner which you can entertain yourself with. There's a jukebox which also doubles as a free photo booth (we may or may not have taken multiple free photos). Since we were a wedding party of men in suits and women in cocktail dresses we definitely got a lot of side eye from the local crowd (also probably due to our poor decisions to play a few Nickelback songs on the jukebox) but since we were in a large group we had a blast!

New owners! Fabulous people and a great new vibe, from the new owner. Big change..it appears that…read morethe new management actually likes to have... customers! We are looking forward to maybe an expansion and events in their super party room. Cheap drinks, and they have a sign for bingo. If their upgrading the bar turns out as absolutely spectacular as the upstairs apt remodel (you can see it on a real estate site) it will be great for the neighborhood.

Amsterdam is a pretty cool place to go. I haven't had the pleasure of going for a show yet but I…read morehear it's a decent venue for smaller shows. The layout of the bar is cool and it's nice that you can hang out at the bar without going back into the concert space. Service has always been friendly when I've gone. It's a bar so don't expect table service, just head up to the bar to order. I haven't gotten around to trying anything on the menu yet but I've heard decent things about the food. I mostly go for the cool atmosphere and cheap drink options. I'll definitely be back, especially during the summer when I can ride my bike into downtown more easily!

This place is 3 stars. The bartender was lovely. The beers were cheap and tasty, I had the organic…read moreBlack IPA and the Cherry Chouffe which comes in a 8 oz pour because it has a high ABV. Both were delicious. I like dark beers and these two didn't make me feel fatigue or heavy / bloated. The vibe is a little grunge, a little beer hally, and a little rock all combined into one. They have a ton of live music throughout the month although my trip, which was 530pm on a Tuesday didn't include any. They have a garden / smoking section out back with 3-4 picnic benches that felt really huge. I could definitely come back and would even consider a show here. Reason why I knock it down from 3 stars to 2 is because when we walked in, one of the managers gave us such a dirty look. And when we said hi, he gave a half hearted smile and turned back to doing his audits. Sure, everyone has a bad day. And perhaps he was reacting to something different. Nevertheless, I was ready to get my drink and be out. Was hungry and wanted food but decided rather spend my money elsewhere.